Meet the 2010 - 2011 Board of Directors
Gary Chappell
After writing two poems as a young man, Gary took a 35-year break to 'gather
material'. Married with two grown children, he moved with his family to
Saskatoon from Prince Albert four years ago. Recently he became 're-infected'
with the need to write poetry, and finds it has become an important passion.
Peter Jonker
Following a career as adult educator (environment, science, technology),
Peter is now attempting to set free the reflective story-teller within. Over the
years he has dabbled in theatre (as actor, director, and playwright), written
poetry, and produced, edited, and authored various non-fiction publications.
Prominent among his publications are: The Song and the Silence: Sitting Wind
(Lone Pine Pub., 1988; Alberta Writers Guild Award for Non-Fiction); A Guide
to Nature Viewing Sites in and around Saskatoon (1992, Saskatoon Nature
Society); The Sand Dunes of Lake Athabasca: Your Adventure in Learning
(2001, University Extension Press); and Thanks to the Sun (2006,
Saskatoon Nature Society). As a long-time recording artist of bird songs, he has also
produced two audio CDs.
Kristina Komendant
When Kristina is not working with canola or mustard plants in the area of research science,
she is pursuing her artistic activities of calligraphy, papermaking/paper marbling,
medieval illumination and bookbinding. As a collector of verses since 1982, she is
trying to find her own voice in verse, with her calligraphy pen.
Jo Oliver
Jo started writing when she was 12. At 15 she wrote a poem that won a BBC
competition, though no prize money. Thereafter she put her writing life on the
back burner for a few decades to deal with working, training as a nurse, moving
to Canada, getting married, farming, and raising six kids. She took up her pen
again in the 1990s, and now lives and writes in Saskatoon.
Janice Salkeld
Janice is happy to be a member of such an active and beneficial organization. She is primarily a playwright, and her latest play, ”Learning the Game”
toured Saskatchewan with the Organization of Saskatchewan Arts Councils, and throughout Western Canada on the Fringe. Sometimes she delves into other
genres such as poetry and short stories, which have appeared in publications like Grain Magazine and Writing North.
If she could beat the procrastination bug, who knows where else the writing might lead her... (...and if anyone has a cure, please forward asap.)
Dave Schultz
David Schultz is a writer/director with more than twenty years' service to the Canadian film industry. His directing credits include the feature films 45 RPM and Jet Boy.
Writing credits include screenplay adaptations of Joy Fielding’s New York Times best-selling novels Don't Cry Now and The Other Woman as well as
Daniel Kalla‘s Pandemic. Original screenplay credits include Silent Cradle, Question of Privilege, One of Our Own, Anthrax and Double Frame.
His documentaries include the six-part series Rebels - a Journey Underground and the History Television special The Longest Road,
co-produced with the National Film Board of Canada.
Jeff Smith
Jeff is working toward a doctorate in Computer Science at the University of Saskatchewan.
He lives in Saskatoon with his growing family (third daughter Tayna was born Feb. 29, 2008), and in his spare time
he blogs, writes science fiction, consults, and designs.
Jim Weseen
Jim is a former teacher and administrator who works as a Saskatoon freelance writer, editor and proofreader,
when he isn't deep in the solitude of his farmyard in the woods-- which, he says, is his cabin
at the lake without the lake (and the people, and the personal watercraft). His commercial writing has mostly been in the fields of education,
agriculture and biotechnology, but in the purely creative realm he writes occasional literary nonfiction and as well is the co-author
of Hello Sky, a children's picture book set along the Meewasin Trail, written with, and illustrated by, artist Wendy Weseen.
Get Involved!
If you’d like to become more involved with the Coop community, but can’t
commit to regular meetings or take on any more long-term volunteer roles,
consider joining our flock of “active volunteers.”
"Active volunteers" are Coop members who want to help out once in a while,
at their own discretion.
If you’d like to join the team, email
coopinfo@writerscoop.org
When we need extra help we’ll give you a call. You can accept or decline the
request as you wish.
